The Matrix

The Matrix
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski
Produced by	Joel Silver Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski
Written by	Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski
Starring	Keanu Reeves Laurence Fishburne Carrie-Anne Moss Hugo Weaving Joe Pantoliano Gloria Foster
Music by	Don Davis
Cinematography	Bill Pope
Editing by	Zach Staenberg
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Village Roadshow Pictures
Release date(s)	North America: March 31, 1999 Australia: April 9, 1999 United Kingdom: June 11, 1999
Running time	136 min.
Country	United States Australia
Language	English
Budget	$63,000,000
Gross revenue	$460,379,930
Followed by	The Matrix Reloaded

The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-martial arts-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving. It was first released in the USA on March 31, 1999, and is the first entry in The Matrix series of films, comics, video games, and animation.

The film describes a future in which reality perceived by humans is actually the Matrix, a simulated reality created by sentient machines in order to pacify and subdue the human population while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Upon learning this, computer programmer "Neo" is drawn into a rebellion against the machines. The film contains many references to the cyberpunk and hacker subcultures; philosophical and religious ideas; and homages to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, and Japanese animation.